Removable ground-penetrating stake



N O S T A M G. C.

REMOVABLE GROUND -PENETRATING STAKE Filed July 26, 1966 FES. 5

3,381,763 REMOVABLE GROUND-PENETRATING STAKE Carl G. Matson, 401 E.Central Blvd., Kewanee, Ill. 61443 Filed July 26, 1966, Ser. No. 567,9532 Claims. (Cl. 173-91) This invention relates to a stake, post or thelike which may be driven into and removed from the ground or likesupporting object or substance without the aid of y'additional andseparate tools.

Such stakes, posts, etc. find particular utility in, for example,roadside markers, temporary fences, braces, signs and the like andeliminate the prior practice in such usage of either driving the stakesby a mall or Sledge or alternately using a more complicated erectionsuch as a tripod, weighted standard and so forth. Where the stake isdriven by -a separate hammer, mall etc., no means is presently providedon the stake for removing it from the ground except by the applicationof gripping land pulling forces.

According to the present invention the stake includes its own built-inhammer means that is sleeved or otherwise slidably arranged on the stakefor back and forth movement lengthwise of the stake and having strikeror hammer portions selectively engageable with anvil portions rigid onthe stake, the spacing of the cooperative portions being such that theham-mer means is operative selectively on driving and withdrawingstrokes to impart impact forces or blows respectively to the anvilportions; e.g., on its driving strokes the hammer means is repeatedlymoved .away from and then forcibly returned to one anvil portion todrive the stake into the ground; on its withdrawing strokes the processis reversed, the other hammer means striker portion imparting successiveblows to the other anvil portion for withdrawing the stake from theground.

It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a novelstake of the character described. It is a further object to provide alow-cost stake in which additional driving tools are unnecessary. Astill further object is to provide such stake with means by whichassociated structural, display etc. components may be easily attached.Other and equally significant objects are to provide a Stake having anabutment including opposite faces that serve as the anvil portion and anassociated hammer having an internal pocket enclosing the abutment andfashioned with opposite end walls serving as the striker portions; andto provide a stake wherein the abutments aifording the anvil portionsare relatively distantly spaced apart and the hammer means has oppositeend portions of which at least one is in the form of a cup-shaped recesscapable of receiving and surrounding the associated abutment throughoutboth strokes of the hammer means, the marginal wall of the recess thuspreventing the user from pinching his iingers between the associtaedanvil and striker portions.

The foregoing and other important objects and desirable features,inherent in and encompassed by the invention, will become apparent asseveral embodiments thereof are disclosed, by way of example, in theensuing description ,and accompanying drawing, the figures of which aredescribed below.

FIGURE 1 is a partial longitudinal sectional View of one form of stakeand associated hammer means.

FIGURE 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of FIGURE l.

FIGURE 3 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of another form of theimproved stake.

FIGURE 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of a third form ofstake.

States Patent O FIGURE 6 is an end view as seen on the line 6-6 ofFIGURE 5.

The stake per se of FIGURES l and 2 is an elongated element 10, here inthe form of a rod of cylindrical section having opposite ends 12 and 14,the former being po-inted to penetrate the ground and the latterincluding means, such as a plurality of holes 16, for receiving bolts,wire etc. such as Imay be used for aixing to the stake relatedstructural, display etc. elements. The stake is shown here as having itsend 12 driven into the ground G, which is representative of astake-supporting object or substance and which may of course be otherthan horizontal. The stake has upper rand lower abutments 18 and 20rigid thereon, as by Welding at 22 and 24, and spaced apart lengthwiseof the stake so that the lower radial or transverse face of the upperabutment provides Ian upper anvil portion 26 opposed to a lower anvilportion 28 afforded by the upper face of the lower abutment.

A sleeve 30, of cylindrical section and having a central bore 32 toslidably t the stake 10 and of a length less than the spacing betweenthe abutments 18 and 20, serves as a hammer means having opposite, upperand lower transverse or radial ends 34 and 36 functioning as harnmer orstriker portions respectively cooperative with the anvil portions 26 and28.

The hammer or sleeve 30 is shown in FIGURE 1 in an intermediateposition; i.e., between and not engaging either anvil portion. If it beassumed that the stake here is to be driven still further into theground, the hammer 30 will tbe raised to a point just short of where itsupper end 34 forcibly strikes the upper anvil 26, after which the hammeris either dropped or forcibly moved downwardly on its driving stroke sothat its lower end or striker 36 imparts an impact or blow to the anvil28 on t-he lower abutment. Repeated driving strokes will be employeduntil the stake is driven to the extent desired. The length of thedriving strokes is governed by the length of the 'hammer 30 relative tothe axial spacing of the abutments or collars 18 and 20.

When the stake is to be removed, the hammer is moved upwardly onrepeated withdrawing strokes, its upper end 34 delivering repeated blowsto the upper :anvil 26 to the extent necessary to free the lower end ofthe stake from the ground.

Since the collars or labutments 18 and 20 are rigidly united with thestake, they not only govern the length of the hammer strokes but alsoconfine the hammer to the stake so that it is always available as adriving or removing tool. The weight of the hammer is a matter ofchoice.

The stake in FIGURES 3 and 4 is also a rod-like element 40 on which ahammer 42, centrally bored at 49, is slidable on alternate driving andwithdrawing strokes to cause the lower pointed end 46 of the stake to bedriven into or withdrawn from the ground G. The hammer 42 has at one endan interior pocket 48 having opposite radial end walls 50 and 52 and amarginal (here cylindrical) wall 54. The upper end of the stake 4) isheaded to provide a circular abutment 56 having upper and lower radialfaces 58 and 60 providing upper and lower anvil portions spaced apartless than the axial spacing of the cooperative striker portions providedby the hammer pocket end walls 50 and 52. The relative diameters of theabutment 56 and hammer pocket wall 54 are such that the former isloosely coniined within the latter. The relative axial spacings of theanvil portions 58 and 60 and striker portions 50 and 52 determine thelength of the driving and withdrawing strokes of the hammer, it beingevident that as the hammer is moved forcibly downwardly on repeateddriving strokes the striker portion 50 strikes repeated driving blows onthe upper anvil portion 58. Conversely, the hammer striker 52 impartswithdrawing yblows to the lower or under anvil portion 6l) upon repeatedwithdrawing 3 strokes of the hammer to remove the stake from the ground.

The enclosing of the abutment 56 in the pocket 48 prevents the entranceof dirt, etc. and also precludes injury to the lingers of the user.Broadly construed, the wal1'54 is part of the hammer extending betweenand joined to the striker walls 50 and 52. The wall 50 is here shown asa cap or cover welded as at 62 to the upper end of the hammer after thestake and hammer have been assembled. The lower end of the stake may beprovided with a stabilizing space 64, welded to the stake at 66. Anyappropriate means could be provided on the hammer to serve the purposeof the holes 16 in FIGURE 1. Without such means, it is obvious thatrelated structural, display, etc. components could be wired to thehammer 42 or could be provided with special brackets, etc.

The stake in FIGURES and 6 is an elongated element 70 having upper andlower ends 72 and 74, the latter of which is pointed to enter the groundand the former having holes 76 like those at 16 in FIGURE l. Rigid onthe stake 70, as by welding at 78 and 80, are upper and lower axiallyspaced apart abutments or collars 82 and 84, the lower and upper radialfaces of which respectively provide upper and lower anvil portions 86and 88.

An axially bored hammer 90 is slidable on the stake 70 on driving andwithdrawing strokes between the anvil portions 86 and 88, which arealternately struck by upper and lower striker portions 92 and 94 rigidon the hammer and spaced axially apart less than the axial spacing ofthe anvil portions 86 and 88. To this extent, the FIGURES 5-6construction generally follows that of FIGURES 1-2.

There is however a basic difference in that opposite end portions oftheFIGURES 5-6 hammer 90 are respectively in the forms of axially openingrecesses or cups 96 and 98 opening or facing respectively toward thestake ends 72 and 74. The upper cup 96 has as its bottom the strikerportion 92 from which rises an integral annular skirt or marginal wall100. The lower cup 98 is symmetrical, having a skirt or wall 102extending axially from the lower striker portion 94 which of courseprovides the bottom of the inverted lower cup. The cups and abutmentsare so relatively dimensioned that both abutments are contained withintheir respective cups during all parts of both the driving andwithdrawing strokes of the hammer. That is to say, in the particularconliguration shown the outside diameter of each abutment is less thanthe inside diameter of its associated cup and the axial length of eachmarginal wall equals a hammer stroke plus the axial thickness of anabutment. Thus, regardless of the posi tion of the hammer, neither anvilportion 86 or 88 is axially exposed beyond the rim of its associatedmarginal wall 100 or 102 of the hammer. This prevents the user fromhaving his lingers pinched between the wall rims and anvil portions. Theabove dimensional requirements would of course be satisfied if the axiallength of each marginal wall is approximately equal to a hammer stroke,so long as the rim of a marginal wall does not axially expose an anvilportion by an amount sufcient to receive part of the users hand. It maybe desirable in some instances to provide the cup conguration at onlyone end of the hammer.

Stakes of the character of any of those described above, or fashioned asvariations or equivalents thereof, feature economy, simplicity and easein design, manufacture and use. Such stakes may be employed singly or inmultiples for many purposes. Since in each case, the hammer is builtinto the stake, no additional tools are required for either driving orremoving the stake.

What is claimed is:

1. A removable ground-penetrating stake comprising an elongated elementhaving opposite ends, hammer means slidable back and forth on andlengthwise of the element, and two-way means confining the hammer meansto the element and for limiting its movement to opposite driving andwithdrawing strokes, said two-way means including driving andwithdrawing anvil portions rigid on and spaced apart lengthwise of theelement, and driving and withdrawing striker portions rigid Von thehammer means and spaced apart lengthwise a distance different from thespacing of the anvil portions and adapted to strike and impart drivingand withdrawing blows to the driving and withdrawing anvil portionsselectively upon movement of the hammer means through its driving andwithdrawing strokes respectively, characterized in that the hammer meansis of sleeve-like construction having a length less than that of theelement and including opposite end portions, at least one of which is inthe form of a cup-like recess opening toward the proximate end of theelement, said recess having a transverse bottom serving as a strikerportion and a marginal wall extending lengthwise from said bottom, theother hammer means end portion serving as the other striker portion, andthe anvil portions are spaced on the element respectively lengthwisebeyond said striker portions, said recess and its associated anvilportion being so relatively dimensioned that said anvil portion isreceivable within the recess and surrounded by the marginal wall duringmovement of the hammer means on both driving and withdrawing strokes.

2. The invention defined in claim 1 in whichv both end portions aresimilarly formed as cup-like recesses and both anvil portions are sorelatively dimensioned that each an vil portion is receivable lwithinits respective recess and is surrounded by the associated marginal wallduring movement of the hammer means on both driving and withdrawingstrokes.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,759,486 8/1956 Pesaturo 173-912,629,985 3/1953 McDowell 173-91 2,742,266 4/1956 Voelkerding 173-912,791,926 4/ 1957 Guyton 173--91 2,923,335 2/1960 Joyce 173-91 2,934,9844/1960 Woodman 173-91 JAMES A. LEPPINK, Primary Examiner.

1. A REMOVABLE GROUND-PENETRATING STAKE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED ELEMENTHAVING OPPOSITE ENDS, HAMMER MEANS SLIDABLE BACK AND FORTH ON ANDLENGTHWISE OF THE ELEMENT, AND TWO-WAY MEANS CONFINING THE HAMMER MEANSTO THE ELEMENT AND FOR LIMITING ITS MOVEMENT TO OPPOSITE DRIVING ANDWITHDRAWING STROKES, SAID TWO-WAY MEANS INCLUDING DRIVING ANDWITHDRAWING ANVIL PORTIONS RIGID ON AND SPACED APART LENGTHWISE OF THEELEMENT, AND DRIVING AND WITHDRAWING STRIKER PORTIONS RIGID ON THEHAMMER MEANS AND SPACED APART LENGTHWISE A DISTANCE DIFFERENT FROM THESPACING OF THE ANVIL PORTIONS AND ADAPTED TO STRIKE AND IMPART DRIVINGAND WITHDRAWING BLOWS TO THE DRIVING AND WITHDRAWING ANVIL PORTIONSSELECTIVELY UPON MOVEMENT OF THE HAMMER MEANS THROUGH ITS DRIVING ANDWITHDRAWING STROKES RESPECTIVELY, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT THE HAMMER MEANSIS OF SLEEVE-LIKE CONSTRUCTION HAVING A LENGTH LESS THAN THAT OF THEELEMENT AND INCLUDING OPPOSITE END PORTIONS, AT LEAST ONE OF WHICH IS INTHE FORM OF A CUP-LIKE RECESS OPENING TOWARD THE PROXIMATE END OF THEELEMENT, SAID RECESS HAVING A TRANSVERSE BOTTOM SERVING AS A STRIKERPORTION AND A MARGINAL WALL EXTENDING LENGTHWISE FROM SAID BOTTOM, THEOTHER HAMMER MEANS END PORTION SERVING AS THE OTHER STRIKER PORTION, ANDTHE ANVIL PORTIONS ARE SPACED ON THE ELEMENT RESPECTIVELY LENGTHWISEBEYOND SAID STRIKER PORTIONS, SAID RECESS AND ITS ASSOCIATED ANVILPORTION BEING SO RELATIVELY DIMENSIONED THAT SAID ANVIL PORTION ISRECEIVABLE WITHIN THE RECESS AND SURROUNDED BY THE MARGINAL WALL DURINGMOVEMENT OF THE HAMMER MEANS ON BOTH DRIVING AND WITHDRAWING STROKES.